The Sound

In one of those forward emails recently, it was some kind of survey where you'd answer a set of questions and send it back to your friends. Somehow they might know more about you, like what your favorite kind of bread is and your favorite movie line (12 grain and any line from Say Anything, FYI). One of the questions, though, went a little deeper: What is your favorite sound?

Knee-jerk reaction might be to say waves lapping on the shore, the sound of children playing or maybe the voice of someone very special. I thought about this today, as I sit in a comfortable place, with a view of the ocean outside and a view of a group of friends inside, a break from reality and a little relaxation and I think really, my favorite sound might just be life. No one part but rather all the things that make up the whole. A ceiling fan turning, a song on the radio, the joke of a friend, the snoring of another, all happening at once and all reminding me that these are just moments that will never come again. Today, this moment, is merely fleeting. But the memory, the sound of life, it's with me.

So tomorrow morning, when we head out for marathons and half marathons, I'll hope to remember that. I'll hope the sound of the footsteps on pavement, breath in the air and music flowing between each runner will be what I get out of the race. I have to remember it's not about me this time, it's not about my legs or my heart rate or my pace, it's just about listening to life and remembering that we're in it, not rehearsing it.